Minor Enlightenment
by Queen Nepy
Summary: This short piece takes place shortly after the Eudial arc and before episode 113; Setsuna joins Haruka and Michiru in a cafe to briefly discuss their past and their present mission. (Edits may be made occasionally because the writer is a perfectionist.)


The following FanFiction was brought to you by the letters S, M, and H. Just kidding. It's been a hot minute since I've written Sailor Moon fan fiction. There was a time I had a few up here. But then I became devoutly religious and deleted it all. I spent the rest of my teenhood and a little of my young adulthood focusing on that. Now I am a graduate student and Sailor Moon, my preteen love, has returned. What better time to write out my thoughts and ideas on what should or could've happened behind the scenes of this beautiful cartoon. (Yes, I called it a cartoon.) This beautiful anime has touched many lives, including mine. I hope this piece is clearly understood and inspires former writers to come out of the woodworkers - untrap themselves in their writers blocked closet. I'm approaching my 30s so I can honestly say that if you're reading this: it is okay to go back to what once inspired us to live, learn, and laugh again. It is okay to be in your 30s, 40s, and 50s and still write fan fiction. If it makes you happy, do it. If it doesn't, don't.

This is for entertainment purposes and I do not own Sailor Moon. Thank you, Naoko Takeuchi, so much for what you've done with your knowledge of astrology, astronomy, and the like.

**SPOILER ALERT FOR SEASON 3 (Sailor Moon S)**: This short piece is pretty much what has been roaming around in my mind for years. I've always considered Haruka Tenoh to be an interesting character. She may be intuitive, but not as much as her partners - Setsuna and Michiru - are. So, I've always pictured her falling behind on conversations discussing matters of intuition, past lives, and psychic abilities. Feeling left out is not fun for this gal. This takes place soon after episode 111/112, after Sailor Moon and the gang defeat Eudial, the first member of the Witches 5 to appear in the Sailor Moon S. Uranus and Neptune find out that they own the talismans they've been searching for throughout the entire first half of the season. Funny how that works, right? Pluto owns a talisman, too! So they decide to meet up with Pluto to help discover themselves and better understand their past lives as well as their present duties.

A very tall, and uniquely fit blonde young woman and a petite, average-height woman by her side with a strangely colored dark shade of aquamarine hair walked into their daily coffeehouse of choice. Michiru in a long flowery dress, Haruka in a long sleeved, untucked white dress shirt and black dress pants, eyes covered by designer aviator sunglasses.

As per usual, customers gasp and stare at this 'odd yet beautifully matched couple arrive. Michiru politely smiles and Haruka, unbeknownst to them due to her wearing sunglasses, rolls her eyes in utter frustration. It has been a long couple of months for these two. From the day they met to now. Haruka felt that they have never truly been at peace. It wasn't her fault - it was destiny. She just wanted inner peace. She wanted to take Michiru some place far away. Away from all of these tasks. But she couldn't. Their mission wasn't over. And she had a feeling that it would never be.

Perhaps she'd try Tai Chi someday. Or Zen Buddhism?

They recently discovered their true selves with much more detail thanks to the guardian of Space and Time, Sailor Pluto and her garnet orb talisman. Haruka wasn't sure she was ready to believe that her and Michiru had a past. Haruka wasn't ready to accept destiny. Still...

"Did you sleep well?" Haruka asks while fumbling with the menu. It got too quiet for her taste. She needed to hear the wind rustle against the sea.

"Yes, finally." Michiru nearly whispered her response as she massaged her temples with her fingers. "Did you?" she looked up at Haruka pensively.

'Michiru. Oh, Michiru.' Haruka thought. Haruka didn't understand how Michiru remained stunning even after all these events. All Haruka's routine consisted of was a shower, and taming her messy short-blonde hair by running them through her fingers. And that's it. She was done. Michiru still found the strength through all this to complete her daily beauty regimen consisting of hair products, shower products, perfume, and make up. Every single day.'How? Does she realize how much stronger she is compared to me?' Haruka thought to herself.

"I did. I just wish it were longer." Haruka lied. Why did she even bother lying to someone as intuitive as Michiru? She had no idea. Fear of appearing weak in front of her. Fear of confessing ones feelings.

"When do you think Meiou-San will arrive?" Haruka asks, visibly agitated. She needed her dose of caffeine for the day.

"Soon, I hope; I have so many questions." Questions Haruka did not want to know the answers to. Haruka did not care to know about her past life. Haruka did not care to see what her past self did. Haruka cared about the present. Haruka was like the wind in that it carried her to any place, but never has the wind carried her to the past. She wasn't used to the lack of control. She didn't like that she couldn't change the past. She did not feel comfortable where she was being carried to.

It was not like she didn't want to be with Michiru. She honestly cared for her, deeply. Especially after her sacrificial act just a few days ago. She just didn't believe someone as insecure about the future deserved to be with someone so... perfect. And, well... she couldn't admit the L word or call herself the G word just yet. It was all too much information in such a short period of time.

"Hi, my name is Inami Momoko and I will be your server today." The waitress feigned smile until she saw who she was serving. "Kaiou Michiru?! Oh my God! " She said in Japanese accented English.

"Well, hello there." Michiru casually smiled as she, almost sexily, responded

"I heard you come into this shop frequently. I'm sorry." the waitress was excited - 'too excited' Haruka thought to herself. The last thing she needed was more attention towards them.

"Then this must be your girlfriend!" The waitresses' cheeks turned a shade of pink.

"I, um, well―" Haruka didn't get a chance to speak as Michiru beamed. "Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you. Inami-san."

"My boyfriend has all your artwork hanging in his work room. He always says when he sees them, it helps him relax! He is a construction worker." The waitress began to ramble and leaned closer to Michiru over the table. Haruka tightened her grip on her copy of the menu. The waitress whispered "I believe he has a huge crush on you. And I am jealous. But I am glad you don't swing that way, really! Sorry, I'm excited, so I've said too much."

"That is interesting that he finds my work relaxing considering the circumstances of which I painted them and the themes." Michiru laughed and attempted to change the subject, "I wish him the best. It looks like I'll be having mint tea today."

Haruka relaxed knowing that Michiru enjoyed the positive attention.

'Typical.' Haruka thought.

"And for you, ...Tenou-san? Tenou Haruka-san, right?"

"Yes," Haruka sighed, but caught that the waitress may have noticed her annoyance and smirked. "I'll have the darkest coffee you've got." Haruka took the back of the waitress' hand and kissed it. "Thank―thank you."

The waitresses cheeks turned hot red. "Yes. Yes, ma'am. I'll be back shortly."

Michiru cleared her throat. "Did you just turn that poor girl into a tomato, Haruka?"

"Only because she was annoying."

"Are you jealous?" Michiru asked, seductively. In a serious tone she soon commented "Sunglasses or not, Haruka, we will be recognized. It's something we should get used to, don't you think?" Frustration began to show in Michiru's voice. They were both tired. They spent months searching for the talismans when the entire time they had them within. Why? Why did they have to be the ones? Why didn't Michiru's visions tell them? With all these events, it felt as ― to Haruka, the gods were having a field day with their fate. They were simply pawns and rooks in the chess game of fate.

But Michiru felt otherwise. She knew her fate would be beautiful with Haruka by her side working together to save the world. The fate of the gods did not matter to her if Haruka was by her side.

"It's your fault. You refuse to cover your eyes or hide your stunning features."

"Haruka, this is not like you." Michiru had a smile in her voice.

"I know. I need my coffee."

"_Hello_."

Michiru and Haruka looked at each other wide-eyed. 'She's here. How does she do that?' they both thought. Setsuna Meioh appeared.

"How do you do what you do?" Haruka asked, out of genuine curiosity.

"Magic." Setsuna responded jokingly.

"Setsuna," Michiru began. "The visions."

"Here's your tea and here's your coffee." the waitress returned. "Ah, I didn't know you had a guest. What would you like, ma'am?"

"Just green tea, please."

"No problem. I'll be right over." The waitress quickly disappeared.

"Please, you two. You both need to relax. Breathe." the ever-so wise Setsuna, sternly spoke in almost a trance-like command to the two teenagers. And thereafter, Haruka and Michiru's tensions began to dissipate. Their shoulders relaxed and their posture, too.

"Thank you, Meioh-san." Haruka suddenly felt a weight lifted off her shoulders. She did not question this feeling. "The dream and the visions ... they're too much." Haruka confessed, looking away.

"Was this the one from last night?" Setsuna asked calmly. "Use your talisman, Michiru."

"...is this why..." Michiru thought out loud as she stared at Haruka then searched for her mirror in her purse. Haruka had her left hand to her head with her left elbow on the table. It was still too much, and it was exactly why she could not sleep well at nights. Michiru, however, is the more intuitive one and has always had a knack for dream and vision interpretations. Haruka was running away from her fate and it was taking a toll on her. Michiru was beginning to understand why she was the first to awaken and why she, Mars, and Pluto were chosen to be the most psychically tuned.

"I ought to kill you right now, Setsuna." Haruka said half-jokingly while inaudibly grinding her teeth. Who the hell did this lady think she is showing me these unwanted memories of love, fate, and disaster? The Moon Kingdom was destroyed because they were too busy dealing with enemies from outside of the solar system. "It was not my fault, damn it!" Haruka banged the table.

"Haruka!" Michiru yelled a whisper as to not attract further public attention.

"It was not our fault, you're right. By the time we got to Earth's moon, everything was destroyed. And we were next. I know this is too much, but bear with me. The visions and dreams you two both had were moments of enlightenment. Please believe that."

"Here's your fresh, piping hot green tea, ma'am." The waitress returned with a smile planted her face. "Would you three like to order anything else?"

"No." Setsuna spoke for them. "That will be all."

"Alright, I'll be back with your check."

Michiru and Haruka glanced at each other as they took a sip from respective mugs.

"It is a very sad story." haruka said taking another sip of her coffee

"Haruka, it's not just a story. It's reality."

"Still stubborn as a mule." Setsuna chuckles as she stirred two cubes of sugar into her tea.

"Still?" Haruka was flabbergasted. How did she know so much about her? Guardian of Time and Space, huh... This was creepy and, at the same time, all too interesting.

"This is like one of the books I've read about the origin of alien life forms." Haruka pondered out loud.

"Your knowledge of your past lives will help with the present and future. This world will be destroyed just as The Silver Millennium was destroyed if we do not find the true messiah." Setsuna was serious.

"Could it be ... that girl?" Michiru asked with a sense of innocent wonder in her voice.

"No way. She fainted with the power of the chalice. It can't be. You should know, Setsuna-San. Is she?" To most people, dropping last name honorifics was disgraceful, but to Setsuna, she was proud of Haruka because it only meant that trust was beginning.

"Unfortunately, such things cannot be revealed by me."

"Why not?" Haruka sounded disappointed. This just isn't fair. If she's holding information that could solve the mystery of the true messiah and stop the messiah of silence, why would it be wrong to tell?

"Haruka," Michiru glanced at Setsuna as if to seek approval for what she was about to ask "You've read a lot of science fiction, right? Have you ever heard of The Time Paradox?" Michiru watched Haruka's light bulb turn on. Haruka's eyes widened as she realized Sailor Pluto's real power and what she was up against.

"All things come to light eventually." Haruka said in a voice of childlike amusement. "Thank you, Meioh Setsuna-san"

"Setsuna-san is fine, Haruka-san."

Finally, they could relax and enjoy their drinks.


End file.
